The Meandering Mind of a Christian Woman

            It’s Christmas morning. The words that repeatedly come to mind are; awe and wonder. For the Christian, this is a day to remember the awe and wonder of God’s great love for us. There are those who would argue that Jesus wasn’t born in December, but it doesn’t change what he has done for us. It is about remembering the most perfect gift the world ever received.             During my childhood our tradition was to attend the children’s Christmas program on Christmas Eve and when we returned home, we would have our gift opening. The excitement and anticipation were palpable. I also recall the awe and wonder of the Christmas program, the church was filled with smiling, happy people, eager to see what the children had prepared. The glow of the lights from the tree created an ambiance of the holy, the sacred. And the message! We children had the great privilege of sha...

            I was raised by a very punctual mother. My siblings and I learned that if you weren’t thirty minutes early for anything; you were late. I am still a punctual person and I believe being punctual also demonstrates respect for others, it respects their time. Another saying that people are probably familiar with is that “time is money.” My preference is that time is valuable. ·          To the person stuck in traffic but trying to make a flight at the airport. ·          To the patient in pain waiting for a doctor to prescribe medicine to relieve the pain. ·          To anyone on the opposite side of the bathroom door from where they need to be. ·          To the last-minute Christmas shopper, searching for a specific gift. ·      ...

            I’m a sucker for a good romantic movie, you know the type; the guy travels a long distance just to surprise his love and they embrace with great smiles on their faces. You can just feel the love emanate through the screen. Those movies give me that warm fuzzy feeling; for a few minutes. Once the movie is over and I go back to real life, that warm feeling dissipates, and I am left with more of a feeling of discontent. Hollywood does a good job of building up unrealistic expectations. While I’m sure there are such couples in the world I daresay it is the exception rather than the rule.             I watched such a movie this evening and when it finished the desire popped into my head that someone would make such a great effort to show love to me. This thought was immediately followed by the knowledge that someone has already done that for me. Jesus Christ came from...

            How do you demonstrate respect? Many cultures have outward displays of showing respect, such as; bowing, keeping your head lower than another, taking off your shoes or keeping a couple steps behind another. The USA doesn’t have any distinct tradition, it seems the best one can hope for is good manners. I daresay that we actually have an ever-growing lack of respect. In our desire to be a friendly society, a casual attitude had crept in that has pluses and minuses as well. Parents struggle to be parents in favor of being their child’s friend. Conversation is frequently peppered with coarse language. Property is being vandalized. And I’m confident you can think of many other ways you see this lack of respect in our world.             You might be thinking, ‘Where are you going with this?’ I’m going to the house of God. In studying 1 Samuel 4- 6 we read about the ...

            I know I have been absent from the blogosphere for a while. My meandering mind wandered into the realm of baked goods. I have been exploring my baking skills and sharing the benefits with others; it brings me a lot of pleasure to share my baked goods. Keep in mind that I work with other nurses who are often the recipients of my kitchen exploits; when it comes to food we nurses aren’t always that picky, especially if we can grab and go.             Something I bake frequently is chocolate chip cookies. I know the recipe by heart, it isn’t complicated. So, this past week I decided to bake cookies to take to work. Eggs, butter, flour, baking soda, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla all blended together and the chocolate chips of course. I tasted the cookie dough and I knew something wasn’t right, but I continued to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and bake them. ...

            Noticeably, I have been absent from the blogosphere for a while. No excuses, just life. I will admit it has been a busy summer and fall. I sold my home, downsized to a smaller place in a different town, adopted a senior cat, and my greatest joy, I gained a granddaughter! Downsizing is not an easy experience as one sorts through all the sentimental properties one clings to for comfort. Prioritizing one’s emotional connections is a true challenge. I have also taken on the task of living alone for the first time in thirty plus years.             As a Christian, I constantly remind myself I am not alone. God is with me. I admit after some time that thought becomes a platitude, especially when sitting by myself for the umpteenth evening in a row. Others have suggested getting out in the community and finding things to do, simple enough, correct? But is it? I want to step out, yet I find my cou...

            A couple days ago I referred to God having a plan. Do you ever question that he has a plan for you? I encourage you to consider who Jesus selected as his disciples.             Take a look at the men Jesus chose as his disciples; fishermen, tradesmen, a tax collector? Although fairly respectable they were not well educated, but the 12 disciples shared their faith with all the known world at that time. Ordinary people, like you and me, & changed the world (without the internet!)             I just completed a study of the book of John, one of the gospels of the New Testament. John has a different way of telling about Jesus’ ministry than the other gospels do. One of the things that hit home with me is the contrast between John and Peter. John comes across as a calm, observant and reserved man. Peter, however, was impulsive, enthu...